How Was Life In The Byzantine Empire? 

Hi is a person that admires and very much appreciate your videos I want to ask you if it's possible that you can make a video about Jews in the late Roman empire and the Byzantine empire?

In the maps that you presented large portions of the Pindus and the Peloponnese are shown as not being part of the empire, however Bulgarians and Slavs in general never had formal power for extended periods of time, mostly raids and trying to conquer without much success

Caesar did write his account of the wars in gaul in latin to be fair

@@ElliotCarson True. But the very sneaky Romans like Caesar sent their secret messages in Greek, which no Gaul understood.

@@ElliotCarsonprobably just personal preference lol. I mean, he did just conquer Gaul in the name of Rome, gotta keep up that patriotic public image

Marcus Aurelius wrote his book meditations in Greek, not Latin. Also Theodosius the Great passed a law permitting legal proceedings to be conducted in both Latin and Greek...in the East and West.

@@TheManCaveYTChannel Yeah I know but I wouldn’t say Greek was of ‘equal status’ it was more of a symbol of being a member of the upper class no. Latin was clearly superior as it was the language of the people of the heartland of the Empire. That’s just my opinion though to be faur

He knows, the term is used for convinence.

It was and still is the legitimate Roman Empire - the "Byzantines" would call themselves "Romaioi" - literally Romans.

@@thevisitor1012convenient for who? Would it not be easier to just say medieval Roman Empire?

​@@TheManCaveYTChannelConvenient for the Germans and the Catholics!

@@TheManCaveYTChannel Because most people believe that Rome fell in 476 AD. I admit that I was one of them, until I came across this channel.

True, and even then they continued to use Latin for so long. Emperors and parts of the government continued to speak/understand Latin until at least 800s AD- that's almost a period of the entire American history after the fall of the Western Roman Empire or it is as long as the Principate period of the Empire. And Latin continued to be used in a reduced capacity as late as the 11th century. For example we see Basil II's solidus (nomisma) with the text: "[bASI]LIOS ET CONSTANT' AUGG" trans. Basil(eus) and Constant(inus) Augusti, this was written as such because Basil was co-emperor with his brother Constantine VII. On the backside there is an inscription: +IhS XIS REX REGNANTINM trans. Jesus Christ, King of Kings. This text is in combined Greek and Latin- fitting for the Eastern Romans. Even the ancient imperial offices while named in Greek were mostly just transliterations of their original Latin names such as Patrikios (Patrician), Quasitor (Quaestor), Praitor (Praetor), Magistros (magister officiorum), Doux (Dux), Kaisar (Caesar), Avgoustos (Augstus), Autokrator (Imperator), etc. etc And all of these are after the 7th century and most of these titles are 1500+ years old by that point of Roman history- many being used since the time of King Romulus himself. It is also evidenced that classical Roman Latin continued to be taught or learnt in the University of Constantinople evidenced by the fact that classical Roman works continued to be transliterated into Greek even in the 11th century. In order to translate a language, you have to learn it. Tutors of future Emperors (such as of Basil) prepared learning material for them educating them on the history of their Empire from as early as the Roman Republic and all of these curricula needed to be prepared from original Latin sources which were preserved in Constantinople. A lot of the "changes"/"diversions" were just normal, natural evolutions and it is clear that the Eastern Romans were quite self-aware and conservative and actually tried to change as little as possible. We see how different the Late Romans looked from the Early Romans and it took just 200 years while each epoch of Eastern Roman history lasts 300+ years and the stylistic changes are not as drastic with efforts to keep the classical elements preserved. Even in terms of name they even called themselves the less known term- Aosones/Aosonians. Ausones is the ancient Greek term to refer to the Aurunci which were a 1st millenium BC ancient Italic peoples and were the first to be subjugated and assimilated by the then nascent Roman republic.

@@zippyparakeet1074 Did not know alot of that. Thanks for the info!

And also The Romans changed with the times. For example, the Romans of Augustus were not the same as the Romans of the king Romulus etc. Yes, they always culturally changed. Some aspects changed and some stayed the same. Why are people so surprised about that?

@@samuelkohi4415they want things t0 fit their worldview. Humans are flawed, and that seeps into people wanting to understand the past

@@zippyparakeet1074 Excellent answer. Where did you get your info from? How did they teach Latin at the University? Did the elites read Virgil, etc. ?

The butterfly effect would be huge. Also depends in what capacity did it survive? Does it survive as it was in the 11th centiury? Or the 12th after losing a majority of Anatolia? Or 14th -15th where Constantinople does get sacked but the Empire manages to survive basically as Greece+

That would change too much to predict. Also at which border did it remain?

It'd just be a christian dominated version of the ottoman empire, fall behind the west and then fragment into ethno nation states . But instead of Turkey we have a bigger Greece with Constantinople as capital.

@@majungasaurusaaaa Agree and also we can probably get a bigger Armenia.

It survived the Islamic expansion unlike the Sassanid empire Arabs failed to take Anatolia or Constantinople so the empire survived 800 years after the beginning of Islamic conquests

Never seen his videos. Sounds German,too.

​@@napoleonfeanor Its in english

Can you post a link?

@@IonutPaun-lp2zq ru-vid.com/group/PLsTzegJZgtyjqCsEk6eAq5KuJp-fiXFPa&si=nsqFOSku1192Ss6H "Al toque mi rey"

@@IonutPaun-lp2zq ru-vid.com/group/PLsTzegJZgtyjqCsEk6eAq5KuJp-fiXFPa&si=nsqFOSku1192Ss6H

Hi Kimberly, thanks a lot for your as always, excellent comment :) That is actually a wonderful idea. I hope that Maiorianus is one day in such a place, as to not require that much time and dedication from me. Currently it still does, but one day maybe, I can hire an editor and reduce my workload. Then this might free up enugh time, to consider writing a book. I would like to write multiple books actually, so massively complex and rich are the many topics regarding the Western and Eastern Roman Empire.

Yea that would be interesting, 9th century Antioch which was retaken by Nikephoros was fairly large town with 60k. But when the crusaders ruled it, it had declined further to 20k.

I honestly find getting butthurt and angry about the use of the word so unnecessary. He's even saying that it was the same polity, but it has already been transformed by the middle ages hence the term Byzantine empire makes sense to distinguish it from the late antiquity empire. Also the remnant here probably means that it was like less than half of the territory of Eastern Roman empire of the centuries prior. In which sense it was very much a remnant. I really feel like getting all defensive about the word 'byzantine' is so pointless especially when he makes a point about why the term makes sense and is clearly knowledgeable about the topic.

@@albertsuchan9366 It's nothing other than a perjorative made up after the fact with the specific intent of delegitimizing the Eastern Roman Empire. How would you like it if "scholars" in 500 years change the name of your country to a slur made up by your enemies and deny you your identity?

@@albertsuchan9366the same argument could be said about how the Roman kingdom was to the Roman republic. Or how different the Roman republic was to the early Roman Empire. Or how different the early empire was different to the empire of the 5th century. How hard would it be to just stop using the term Byzantine and say the medieval Roman Empire?

@@TheManCaveYTChannel I just think it's a really silly thing to get mad about. Yeah, the term isn't great and it's obsolete, but it has been used for centuries and I think it would be much more meaningful and smart to educate people on the Eastern Roman history in general than be triggered about a word. Especially when mostly everyone using the word or getting mad about it knows what it refers to. Acting like it's some kind of a slur just because some boomers 500 years ago coined and it stuck seems really weird to me.

@@albertsuchan9366 I think for many of us Roman history fans, the reason we dislike the word is because we were all told the Roman Empire ended in 476. If the term Byzantine is just a term to distinguish a 1000 year period of Roman history, why is it still said the Roman Empire ended in 476?

Puerto Ricans are Americans..

@@minutemansam3122 They are under American occupation. Their culture and language are barely similar to any of the 50 states. They are not one of the 50 states, and are in poverty. They gain no support from the US government, they are NOT AMERICAN, they themselves say so.

Except they were legit romans with imperial power intact throughout their existence at least till 1204. Not just wannabes who get popes to crown them.

Well I’m from Puerto Rico and I am American. Like texans or californians are Americans I am as well.

@@mikaelortiz1739 Not everyone shares your point of view. I have spoken to many Puerto Ricans and sometimes they tell me they struggle to find their identity. Many Puerto Ricans who actually live in Puerto Rico tend to identify themselves more as Puerto Rican than American. It's insane how a territory that is so influenced by the United States does not allow it to hold any voting rights, let alone allow the territory to remain as impoverished as it is. I am Colombian, and even though there are several people who think that I am American, no matter how long I live in the United States I will always identify as Colombian, speak the Spanish that I have been speaking for my entire life (as a person from Bogotá), and remain in-touch with my Colombian friends, family, and culture. There are so many Americans who brag about their ancestry when they barely connect with it. If I am able to be so culturally in-tune with Americans and Colombians, as a Colombian, then Americans who love to talk about their heritage and background and whatever should try to fit into both cultures, languages, and societies. If not, just pick one.

Couldn't have said it better.

I don’t know, to me it’s like calling an Englishman an Anglo-Saxon or an Anglo-Norman, technically it’s correct and the English are a continuation of the Anglo-Saxons, but you’re not going around calling Englishmen Anglo-Saxons.

​@@pyrrhusofepirus8491 There's definitely a lot of white supremacists walking around calling themselves Anglo-Saxons, though. But you're right, I wouldn't call Englishmen Anglo-Saxons when this is not their self-identification. Just like I wouldn't call modern Greeks post 1800s Romans, because this is not their ethnic identity either. The eastern Romans, however, called and still call themselves Roman, tracing their cultural origins from the mythical Aeneas fleeing Troy and settling in Italy. If you won't call an Englishman an Anglo-Saxon, especially when this is not their self-proclaimed ethnic identity, then why would you call an Eastern Roman a Greek or a Byzantine when this is not their self-proclaimed ethnic identity? (Even 'Eastern' Roman is sus.) But you would only do so to deny them of their identity and cultural heritage, just as Maiorianus said in the video.

@@Shadowfang1318 "Byzantine" is a slur given to enemies/hated rivals. We as neutral history learners should certainly not use that term. Unless you have a western agenda to denigrate these people.

@@Shadowfang1318 I think you’re implying malice or insults (or at least that’s the way it’s written, be free to correct me) in what is ultimately just the modern used word for this particular period of the Roman Empire. The word Byzantine may have started as a pejorative, but ultimately is just what we call them and everyone knows who you’re on about when talking about the “Byzantines”. We, as English speakers, don’t call the Germans ‘Deutsch’ or call Germany ‘Deutschland’, but we use German and Germany nonetheless because that’s simply what we’ve called it and traces its way back to the Romans and no one really cares. I’m not denying their identity by not calling them Deutsch, it’s simply the way English people call them. Basically, I really don’t see the problem with the word Byzantine and use it interchangeably with Roman and Eastern Roman, because we’re still ultimately referring to the same people and the same empire and modern context is without insult. Unless I were to specifically go to those communities I wouldn’t care an iota about calling the Eastern Roman Empire the Roman, Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire.

Thanks for your kind donation, I really appreciate it

Hi Jerry, thanks a lot, I really appreciate your generous donation :) I am very happy to see how many people are interested in late Roman or Eastern Roman history, that is heartwarming. Thanks again and all the Best, Sebastian

Constantinople was essentially the New Rome or Nova Roma, as Emperor Constantine would call it.

Yeah! Sexual harassment gor Childeric exiled from his own kingdom for eight years.

Ironic that the Salian Franks would become the namesake of the Salic Law, which prohibits women from inheriting a title, even passing it to her sons...

First time seeing a woman interested in Eastern Roman history

@@Iamnotracistlmao we’re out there 🌳👀🌳🏛️👀🏛️

@@TaeSunWoo Huge W. Ave Roma

The center of the eastern part was always Constantinople and Asia Minor. That's why the empire prioritized the protection of these regions.

There was never an official language nor was there an official change. It’s something that just naturally occurred overtime. Why would the government continue speaking Latin if almost no one in the lands they ruled spoke Latin? Greek was always a language spoken by the Romans including Latin.

Late Roman Empire and "Byzantine" empire are the same so....

@@Clearwood_ I know bro but in the same time there is a big difference between the Eastern Roman empire in the time of Attila the Hun and the Eastern Roman empire in the time of basil II for example and of course in this video alone he give a number of examples that shows the point in what I wrote to him

@@Vigoda.D Changes in culture don't justify people coming along centuries later and changing your country's name and your people's identity. By that standard every country that exists in Europe today that still uses its name from prior to 1790 should be barred from using it and have some new made-up name forced upon it. The US are also not the same society they were when they were named.

It's a slur used for a hated rival/enemy. We as neutral history learners have no reason to use it. Unless you have a western agenda of denigrating these people.

Oooooh, we have a man of culture 🗿

Based?

ERE was cringe af

​@@bobbo11357It's a term that used to only be found on 4chan, but somehow it leaked out.

@@brunomattos1130reported for misinformation

Some weeks he’ll say Eastern Roman or medieval roman. I’m think he’s scared of losing the basic “i prefer pagan or the west” type “romaboos” viewership. They’re such a paradox, imho. Like they cry that the Roman Empire ended “too early” and I’m like “you have the East right over there for 1000 more years”

@@TaeSunWoo I know he's got a great channel I'm just giving him shit. He's my go to for this type of history. I recommend him to anyone who asks for a great channel to watch.

@@TaeSunWoo I too prefer the pre-Christian era and worship the Hellenic pantheon, but that doesn't mean burying my head in the sand and pretending the Christian era didn't happen. They preserved the Empire for another 1000 years after the West failed, and I applaud them for it. They did what my fellow pagans couldn't. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches are the only remaining Roman state institutions today, so we shouldn't simply write them off as unimportant or un-Roman either. The B-word is just a pejorative the Germans made up to attempt to rob the ERE of legitimacy.

@@AulusClaudiusNero alright that was a nice response. I like the way you think 🙆🏼‍♀️

@@TaeSunWoo A number of them also believe that a Roman empire not ruled from Rome itself isn't a "Roman" empire. Conveniently forgetting that by the late 3rd century AD the Eternal City had become superfluous.

Why? It was an Empire. Not a homogenous Greek population. There were Italians, Slavs, Bulgars, Serbs, Arabs, Turks, Syrians as well as Greeks and many other peoples that made up the population of the Empire.

The "Greek Empire" term you want to call ERE is just as accurate as calling the HRE "Italian Empire".

​@@Arbelot Are you saying the empire talked about in this video is not a Greek Empire? What is it?

It's not only about change but the fact that we have two different cultures here.

Yeah the B word is still being used in 2024 big ouch.

I don't get why he doesn't stick with the old artstyle, it was great.

Still better than early medieval western europe.

Ok, Edward Gibberish.

And it wasn't holy..or roman😂😂

*ROMANS

And thank you for your kind donation, I really appreciate it a lot

And than you, for this kind donation, I really appreciate it :)